“Your materials appear to be based on premises that most music teachers can support, and they appear to be entirely consistent with the national standards for music education. I believe our profession needs more of the kind of initiatives you are taking, and I wish you every success.”
Paul Lehman, Chairman
National Standards in Music Education>
“You know I believe your system of teaching children to sing, read music, etc. is the best there is anywhere. I just wish there were some way to show all Music Administrators and School Administrators everywhere what an incredible Music Program you’ve developed! I still think it’s the best music literacy program that I’ve seen!”
Sue Smith – Music Teacher
Columbus, Georgia USA
“Thank you for your awesome music program. I love using the material in our school and it has helped our music program progress.”
Doreen Stribbell – Music Teacher
The International School of Maco
Taipa, China
“In my thirteen years of experience teaching, I feel qualified to say, without a doubt, Music You Can Read has had a life-long effect on my children, especially my son…”
Becky Bachman-Schmidt – Parent
Smyrna. Georgia USA
“I am very thankful for this great website.”
Jennifer S. Brown – Music Teacher
Raintree Montessori School Lawrence, KS USA
“I think Music You Can Read it’s a wonderful system…”
Samantha Heatherly – Teacher
St. Timothy Lutheran School
San Jose, California USA
“I am a single mother and as much as I’d like for Alex to have private lessons, I can’t afford it…I remember my music education and although my teacher was a great person, I didn’t learn in three years what Alex has learned on one.”
Mary Ellen Shelley – Parent
Marietta, Georgia USA
“I want you to know how much I value your lesson plan on voice control. Sometimes in the hectic pace we keep, we overlook the beginning steps. I would be interested in seeing other lesson plans you have created! I teach lower school music with an elementary fourth, fifth and sixth grade chorus, and middle school and high school choirs in a private, college-prep school in Jacksonville, FL.”
Cheryl Vaughan
Jacksonville, Florida USA
“I love your presentation and the use of language everyone can understand. Right down to the students’ level! I will definitely use this with my MS/HS choral group.”
Andrea Rossetti-Boerner – Teacher
Wantagh Public Schools
Wantagh, NY USA
“I just wanted to let you know that we LOVE the “Music You Can Read” program. The kids are responding to the formats and there seems to be an excitement about coming to music. We are working on the rhythm drills and 13 symbols right now. It is wonderful to see kindergarten children who can read the rhythm drill and do it with instruments without me tracking for them. It is exciting.”
Wendy Norfleet – Music Teacher
Antioch Elementary
Dalton, Georgia USA
“Thank you SO MUCH for a pretty much fool proof way to get even the reluctant, hormonal, monotone type singers to find their singing voices and learn how to blend a little!!! I REALLY appreciate it! I believe our singing “unit” is now set up for success because of your lesson plan.”
Brenda Leary – Music Teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Worthington, Ohio USA
“Wow! These are great!!!! (Recorder Charts)
Thanks for making something so useable!”
Linda Agnello – Music Teacher
Midway Elementary
Cumming, Georgia USA
“In my thirteen years of experience teaching, I feel qualified to say, without a doubt, Music You Can Read has had a life-long effect on my children, especially my son. They don’t just play tapes or the piano, and sing-along, they actually learn to read the music, so they can apply it to other aspects of music, like playing the instruments.
My son is always playing on the piano, pulling out sheet music to sing along with the oldies, pointing out the different musicians on the radio and television stations and letting us know some of the beats of the songs. He’s always making up his own tunes or beating a rhythm to whatever music is being listened to. I know his love of music didn’t come from us as my husband is tone deaf and I couldn’t read a note to save my soul. My daughter is learning to appreciate music and rhythm too, and is always willing to grab a couple of spoons or rulers to make music along with my son. Instead of a remote controlled car and Legos, he is asking for a drum set and electric guitar for his birthday! Pretty inspiring for an eight-year-old who has a mild case of autism and his had cerebral-palsy since birth. As parents we feel we owe this amazing achievement to his music teacher and we want everyone to know that their child can also build a appreciation for music if Music You Can read has a hand in it.”
Becky Bachman-Schmidt
Smyrna. Georgia
“I think Music You Can Read it’s a wonderful system. I’m still just in my basic first week or so. We hope to be fully into center mode within the next week or 2 weeks. I’m at a private school and my music room is the choir room off of the sanctuary, so on days like today, when there is a funeral, I have to either go to the grade room or parish hall. HOWEVER, MUSICNOTES was wonderful for this because I could take my overheads and still teach with them no matter where I went.
We will definitely be using all the formats–I can fit 3 kids on the piano bench, put 5 on a table with glockenspiels (Orff instruments), but 6 at a table with the card games, put 4 on my desk with the listening center/Secret Code work, put 3-4 working on the Rhythm Drill and 3-4 working on the Solfege Drill. The rest will work with a group with me on recorder, precorder or wordsearch or tic/tac/toe…so even in my tiny space I’m anticipating carrying almost 27 children and keep them busy!!!
The best part is the main work is already done for you. If you have ever sat up till 3 a.m. like me typing up the music on an ENCORE program, you’ll immediately understand what a blessing this is. Also, I have a PageScan USB Logitech desktop feed scanner, so I can scan these and print the overhead transparencies on my HP DeskJet 820 Cse printer at home, in case I can’t make it to the school photocopier that day.
So far I’m still working on the same song for K – 5/6th that I started with last week; however, being at a Lutheran school I also have to teach Chapel songs, etc., so this cuts into my teaching time. On the other hand, having a plethora of songs to choose from is wonderful!!!
So far, I’m going with just what I have with the sampler, but we hope to receive the whole package soon. I already do some Kodaly/Orff/Dalcroze methodology as part of my program, so this is a wonderful supplement…even if you didn’t have the Orff instruments to start with and just used recorders, precorders, or even toneflutes or flutophones for the “lettered” sections it is a very workable program. I am sold on the value of giving classes the goal of doing it right the first time. That’s what I titled my class charts: “We did it RIGHT the FIRST time!”
Samantha Heatherly – Music Teacher
St. Timothy Lutheran School
San Jose, California USA
“Feeling frustrated and in need of new ideas, I found your lesson plan on “Finding the Singing Voice” after a Google search for music lesson plans last night. I wanted to let you know that I used it today with a group of VERY reluctant singer sixth graders. I followed your plan almost verbatim and I am AMAZED at the sound and tone quality I heard at the end of the lesson plan. (AND level of participation!)
I started out the class by asking the kids to raise their hands if they enjoy/don’t enjoy different music activities, such as playing Orff instruments, drumming, listening to music, etc. and then singing. I told them that singing is one part of music class and that would be our focus for the next few weeks, so even if singing is not a favorite activity, I appreciated them jumping in and doing their best.
Then I explained that I hear a lot of adults say, when they discover I am a music teacher, that they “can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” I told them I believe that 98% of people CAN sing and can sing well, IF they have had some singing lessons. So today, everyone is getting a singing lesson.
To break the psychological ice, and kind of warm up their voices, I played a game from John Freierabend with a bean bag, where I toss a bean bag and follow the arc with my voice, with a “woo” syllable.. Then I have the kids join me in making the sound while they watch the arc I throw. Then when everyone is feeling brave, I toss the bean bag and make the sound to one of the students (a volunteer) and when they toss it back to me they make the sound. After a few tosses like this, I have the kids say another student’s name, toss it with the sound to that student. That student does the same with another student, etc. Pretty soon everyone was tossing and wooing and having fun. Then I went into your lesson plan.
Thank you SO MUCH for a pretty much fool proof way to get even the reluctant, hormonal, monotone type singers to find their singing voices and learn how to blend a little!!! I REALLY appreciate it! I believe our singing “unit” is now set up for success because of your lesson plan.”
Brenda Leary, Music Teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Worthington, Ohio
I just wanted to let you know in writing that I feel the choral program you have developed for our elementary students is exceptional. The title you’ve selected, “Music You Can Read” is very appropriate. The skills taught in your program reinforce the reading and math skills taught in the regular classroom.
There is no doubt that your program has played a significant part in the gains we’ve experienced in reading on the Iowa Tests Of Basic Skills during the past three years. Again, thank you for the part you have played in helping our students become proficient readers.